Howdy again,
Sorry for the rapid fire questions. I am trying to find the next great beer to brew and many of the recipes use grains. I am still an extract brewer. Are the "extract" recipes that use grains, recipes that I can put the grains in a grain bag and remove from the wort once heated to 170F?

Second I noticed many, many recipes calling for holding temperatures of yeast starters, or frozen fruit at certain ranges for certain amounts of time.

How do I do this? What is the best way to seep frozen raspberries at 100 for 3 minutes? Or anything else for that matter. As I stated I am not mashing (yet), and really only have used grains via bad method.

Q1: Are the "extract" recipes that use grains, recipes that I can put the grains in a grain bag and remove from the wort once heated to 170F?

Yes, if they are specialty grains such as black malt, crystal malt, chocolate malt... etc... that are not added to a recipy to contribute fermentable sugars but rather flavors. Sometimes Munich malt is added in this way, but more often than not is is a gravity contributor and must be mashed.

Q2: I noticed many, many recipes calling for holding temperatures of yeast starters...

Yeast starters, if active, should be at room temperature. (65~75 deg. F.)

Q3: What is the best way to seep frozen raspberries at 100 for 3 minutes?

Raspberries should be added sort of like hops.... there is a bitter component to their flavor that is derived from the seeds. Therefore, to replicate the proper flavor in the beer, contact time is necessary. I would add 40% of the raspberries so that they boil for 20 minutes and the rest so that they boil for 5 minutes. If you simply "steep" them prior to the boil, there will be little to no aromatics and only a small amount of raspberry flavor.

Yes, it is true that you can extract the waxes in some fruits by boiling them, but raspberries contain only a small amount of pectin and you are only boiling 40% of them for a long enough time for any extraction to occur. My suggestion was specifically for raspberries. Of the world's beer not made with raspberry extract, this is the most common way raspberries are used if a true raspberry flavor is desired. I have used this method without haze problems when using puree, fresh and frozen raspberries. If you are still concerned that this might occur, you can always add pectinase which will preclude wax induced haze. This enzyme works with any fruit.